jogging

i have been working hard (most of the time anyway) at losing weight and getting in better shape. better for my knees when playing basketball. better for jen's self esteem when i start wearing a speedo again this spring when we go to lake issy-kul.

last year i was in a biggest loser competition with a couple of friends - charlie and sasha. i ended up losing 20 pounds over three months and overall lost almost 30 for the entire year in bishkek (easy to do when there are no fast food joints).

i came home last june so svelte and sexy that my mom even said that it looked like i had lost too much weight (it is normally the opposite).

well nothing like spending a summer back in the sates eating ice cream with your pregnant wife and sitting next to your dad's death bed chowing on sympathy food in the form of super sweat ice tea and double quarter pounders.

i came back to central asia in august ready to squeeze into my fat jeans.

the past couple weeks of so i have recommitted to cutting juice, soda, chocolate and heavy pasta out of my diet (so basically all that is good in life). i have also started to run a bit as the weather has gotten nicer.

nelson has been joining me as we drag our asses out of bed before 700am each morning. and by 'each morning' i mean two or three times a week. we run at a part near both of our apartments and so far we are up to about 2 miles (give or take a half mile!). it is a great way to start the day and quite a treat for the locals to see two panting, out of shape americans running in circles at a park - it isn't something you see too often here.

i am hoping we stick with it - especially as the weather gets warmer. i put on the speedo every couple days as motivation.